• The sixth session of Sheikh Hassan Mchaymech’s trial before the Lebanese Military Court took place August 6, 2012.
• During that session, the Sheikh reiterated his philosophical and sociopolitical positions, including his rejection of Wilayat al-Faqih. He also made it clear that he wanted to leave Lebanon to continue his clerical career, with a special focus on fighting Wilayat al-Faqih.
• According to al-Mustaqbal(August 7), the Sheikh asked the court to entertain his request to summon select Hezbollah members—including Sheikh Ali Daamoush who heads Hezbollah’s Foreign Affairs Unit—to testify during the proceedings. According to the article, however, the court responded that it “did not deem [such action] necessary.”
• In an article in al-Liwaa (August 7), Sheikh Mchaymech’s lawyer Antoine Nehmeh presented the court a copy of the book “Black Holes in our Religious Consciousness” written by the Sheikh. Notably, Hezbollah had previously forbidden Sheikh Mchaymech to distribute the book, published in early 2000, because of its content. The dispute that ensued ultimately became a catalyst for the gathering tensions between the Sheikh and Hezbollah.
• The next—seventh—session of Sheikh Hassan Mchaymech’s trial is scheduled to take place on Thursday, September 20, 2012. A Seventh Postponement…